Howard Kurtz Slams CNN on CNN

On CNN’s “Reliable Sources” on Sunday, host Howard Kurtz, who is also Washington Bureau Chief for The Daily Beast, did something he rarely does: He bit the hand that feeds him. Specifically, he ripped the network for airing a story on political sex scandals and blatantly omitting that of CNN host Eliot Spitzer.

In his “Media Monitor” segment, he began, “It was supposed to be a look back at the major sex scandals involving politicians in recent years, but there was one glaring omission.” That would be Spitzer. Prostitutes. The Mayflower. “There was no mention of a New York governor who resigned in disgrace three years ago after patronizing prostitutes. I’m sorry, if you’re going to do this kind of story you have to include Eliot Spitzer even if he does now host a prime time CNN program. Otherwise, you are airbrushing history.”

CNN provided spin that amounted to a whole lot of nothing in response. Kurtz explained, “CNN says the decision was made by an individual producer and that other reporting did make mention of the Spitzer scandal.”

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